ALL NOVEL Chapter 57: Rich!
The crowd's energy shifted rapidly in the aftermath of the match, buzzing with a mix of awe, confusion, and frustration.
It wasn't every day that someone like Vance Renlor—a Top-10 ranker—was taken down, especially by a complete unknown.
The arena, normally dominated by almost predictable outcomes and safe bets, had just been thrown into chaos by Kyle's victory.
For the spectators, this was a show beyond expectations.
Most of them didn't care about the outcome; they were there for the thrill of the fight and to learn from the great fighters.
Their cheers hadn't died down since the match ended. Conversations in the stands were filled with admiration for Kyle.
"I can't believe it! A newbie, out of nowhere, took Vance down!"
"Did you see his attacks? He only used Tier-1 spells!"
"Yeah. He managed to win while holding back. I wonder who can stop him if he goes all out."
"This 'Abyss' guy... he's going to shake things up here for sure."
They didn't care that they didn't know Kyle's history or his mask-shrouded identity, making all kinds of crazy speculations.
The spectators were here for the entertainment, and Kyle had delivered.
They were already eagerly awaiting Abyss' next battle.
But for the gamblers, it was a very different story.
Some part of the crowd grew in silence as they wondered what went wrong.
It was not possible and had never happened— a Top-10 ranker, being defeated by a newbie.
Today, they had been burned.
One of them was already losing it and couldn't help but speak up.
"This is rigged! There's no way a newbie like that beats Vance clean! No way!"
His comments gave others the confidence to speak on.
"I lost 1000 credits on this match. Impossible!"
"Yeah!" chimed in another gambler. "You don't just walk in here and beat someone like Vance. He's ranked ninth for a reason. I've watched his matches for years—no newcomer gets a win like that, not without help."
Murmurs spread through the gambling section, growing louder by the second. More voices joined in, accusing Kyle even more.
"It's a setup!"
"He's not a newbie. He's some pro pretending to be an amateur!"
"I bet he's been hiding his rank for years, waiting to pull this scam."
Accusations flew freely, and the gamblers were nearing a boiling point, their frustrations spilling over.
They felt deceived, and their losses made the sting all the more painful. The air was thick with tension, and the shouting was on the verge of erupting into chaos.
But before the situation could escalate further, a commanding voice rang out from behind them. "Enough."
A tall figure with a green ponytail stepped forward, walking onto the podium with authority.
His voice cut through the noise, silencing the angry crowd in an instant.
This was Jordan, an administrator and a member of the Elite 10.
He crossed his arms and gave the group a long, cold stare.
"I've been around here long enough to see gamblers complain after losing big," he began with a steady voice.
"And let me remind all of you—gambling is a risk. You stake your credits, you accept the possibility of loss."
One of the angriest men from earlier, still fuming, tried to interject. "But this was—"
Lorian silenced him with a raised hand.
"I don't care who you bet on or how much you lost. We don't question the history of our fighters here. This is the arena. Find adventures on m,v lem|p,yr
What matters is what happens in the pit, not whatever story you've cooked up to explain why you lost."
The crowd fell silent as Jordan's words sank in. His presence alone was enough to bring a sense of order to the chaos.
He turned, addressing the crowd in full. "I get it. You're angry because a newbie won, and you lost your credits. But maybe instead of blaming some conspiracy, you should recognize what you saw today.
That guy—Abyss—he's strong. Stronger than any of you gave him credit for. And that's not on him. That's on you."
The murmurs died down, the anger slowly fading as the gamblers realized they had little choice but to accept the outcome.
Jordan gave them one last look before turning away. "Remember, you're here because you enjoy the thrill of the risk. The moment you forget that, you've lost sight of what this is all about."
With his intervention, the tension in the gambling section finally eased.
Some of the gamblers muttered under their breath but began dispersing, the majority accepting their losses with grumbling defeat.
The arena gradually returned to its previous excitement, and the anger dissipated.
Kyle, standing by the edge of the pit, couldn't help but laugh under his mask.
He'd heard everything, and the idea that these gamblers had thought the match was rigged amused him. 'Me, a pro?'
The most funny was of him holding back— The thought was almost funny.
He walked over to the gambling booth, to calculate his earnings.
His original stake had been 50 credits—all the credits he had left.
But, no one had expected him to win, so the odds had been heavily in Vance's favor. But with his victory, the payout had skyrocketed.
The attendant at the booth gave Kyle a respectful nod as she handed him a shet.
"Your earnings, Abyss. You staked 50 credits at a 55 odd. That brings your total payout to 2,750 credits."
Kyle's jaw dropped when the amount entered his comm.
'I'm rich!!'
2,750 credits was more than enough to set him up comfortably for the next few weeks.
'I knew coming here was the perfect idea,' he couldn't help but think, after all, he had gotten so much from a single fight.
He knew he was just getting started, as they were many more credits to come.
[Ding! ]
[You have 5 Skill points available! ]
Kyle saw the prompt that lit up his status. 'Yes, my reward. Remind me what it's for, system?'
[Skill points can be used to upgrade Learn and Upgrade Skills]
Kyle observed the two skills, thinking about which to go for.
'Level up Lightning Bolt!'